ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 15, 1997 TAG: 9701150096
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: Associated Press
The number of trips taken for business has reached a plateau, and the head honchos, not the foot soldiers, are more often on the road.
This winter, about 59.5million business trips are forecast - the same as last year, the Travel Industry Association of America said. And while the number of trips remains the same, fewer people are taking them, meaning those who do travel do so more often.
``There will be a decline in demand for business travel services as you scan the horizon,'' predicted Peter Yesawich, whose international marketing firm also tracks travel trends.
Business traffic could be leveling off because companies are increasingly watching expenditures as the cost of travel rises.
``When airfares go up, there's a tendency to explore your options,'' said AT&T spokesman Burke Stinson.
But the plateau also might be the result of technology, which has allowed people to meet via telephone and video conference, and to communicate efficiently using e-mail.
``The clarity of the thinking within electronic mail can move a project along sometimes at a faster pace than a lot of schmoozing'' in person, Stinson said.
In a trend that has developed over the past few years, TIA, a trade group that promotes travel, said it appeared more business trips were being taken by people with higher incomes, possibly because corporate downsizing cut out many middle managers who previously did the leg work.
TIA surveyed 1,500 adults in late October about their plans for business or convention travel over the winter, when about 20percent of all work-related trips are traditionally taken.
Among the findings:
* Eighteen percent of travelers were very or somewhat likely to travel on business this winter, down 4percentage points from last winter.
* A third of those expecting to hit the road were professional or managerial employees, and 30percent were from households with incomes of at least $50,000.
* Nearly two-thirds of the trips were expected to be solo.
At AT&T, Stinson said there was no clear change in the number of upper managers who were traveling. While the New Jersey-based telecommunications company has been trimming some departments, it has expanded others.
Still, he said, with an eye toward the bottom line, ``We have been asking managers to think three times before they take off for a business meeting with a gang of intramural managers.''
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by Ap. color.by CNB